‘When, not if’ - Tour de France will return to Yorkshire, says director

Sam Jones

Christian Prudhomme, the director of the Tour de France, has said it is a case of “when, not if” the race will return to Yorkshire in the future.

And Sir Gary Verity, chief executive at Welcome to Yorkshire and mastermind behind the boom of cycling in Yorkshire, has said that he would love to help bring the event to Scarborough.

The recent Tour de Yorkshire route announcement saw Scarborough named as a host town for the third year running and Sir Gary explained why the coast is such a hit with cycling: “We love going to Scarborough, we want to get the Tour de France to Scarborough when it comes back.

"The people are tremendously passionate, now that people know the route the bunting will go out.

"Whole villages will really get behind it, it's just fantastic! It's more than just a bike race, it's about bringing communities together."

Christian Prudhomme said: “It is only two years since the Grand Depart, but with the Tour de Yorkshire you can see the journey Yorkshire has been on.

“We will be back. I don’t know when, but the question is not if, it is when.

“I don’t know if it will be three years, five years, 10 years. I hope it won’t be 15 years because it will be too late for me.”

The Grand Depart came through Yorkshire in the summer of 2014 and was greeted by millions who lined the route, welcoming the riders.

Scarborough will host the end of stage one of the 2017 Tour de Yorkshire, which starts in Bridlington and visits Whitby on Friday, April 28, 2017.